chicken & spinach lasagna roll-ups

so I lost the link to where I found this idea and later modified it, but a big high-five to the person who came up with it!  we noticed that this tasted better the second day, so I could recommend mixing up the filling and fridgeing it overnight.

active time: 20 minutes | cook time: 30 minutes | servings: 9 roll-ups

Ingredients:



9 lasagna noodles

2 ½ cups jarred or homemade tomato sauce

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1 clove garlic, minced (next time: use more)

1 shallot, diced (next time: use more and/or regular onion)

3 cups fresh spinach

1 frozen basil cube (~1 teaspoon)

dried oregano

garlic powder

onion powder

salt & pepper

2 cups shredded Mozzarella

preheat oven to 350F.

boil 8-10 cups salted water in a large pot and cook lasagne noodles until al dente. (note: it may be worthwhile to add 1 or 2 extra noodles in case of breakage)

drain and rinse the noodles with cold water to prevent them from sticking to each other.

lay out each noodle individually and blot dry with a paper towel.

while noodles are cooking, mix 1 ½ cups of shredded mozzarella, cottage cheese, spices, frozen basil cube, and cooked shredded chicken in a large bowl.

heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in small pan. 

saute shallot, garlic and spinach over medium heat until fragrant, seasoning with salt and pepper.  remove from heat once spinach has wilted and shallot is translucent. 

once cooled slightly, add to cheese and chicken mixture (don't do this right away or your cheese will melt too much). 

season to taste.

spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray and pour just enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom of the pan (about ½ cup).

spread about 5 tablespoons chicken cheese spinach mixture evenly over each noodle, leaving the 'last' 2 inches or so bare. start at one end and roll the noodle over the toppings, working toward the 'bare' end.

place the roll-ups in the pan, one by one, seam-side down so they don't come undone.

once they are all in the pan, pour the remaining tomato sauce over and top with remaining cheese.

bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

autumn squash salad

I went on a bit of an aggressive veggie-buying binge recently.  there are worse things to crave.  

I literally threw this together the other night and it tasted like Fall.  it was so simple that I won't even take the time to type out every step.

how long it took

roasted spaghetti squash

active time:  3 mins | cook time: 30-60 mins, depending on size of squash

rest of ingredients

active time: 10-15 mins

yields: up to 6 cups, depending on size of squash

what ended up in the bowl

roasted spaghetti squash + olive oil + sautéed brussels sprouts slaw (from trader joe's, or just use chopped brussels sprouts) + sautéed diced apples + barely wilted spinach + dried cranberries + chopped almonds + a little maple syrup + some lemon juice + spices + shredded cooked chicken = MONEY.

next time, I'd like to caramelize some onion to add to the mix, and/or add some crisp chopped bacon.  

curry nut chicken

this is about as close as I can get to homemade butter chicken.  there are endless variations, too.

curry nut chicken
adapted from ??
yield: 4-6 servings / active time: up to 45 minutes / total time: up to 90 minutes (if you cut the chicken smaller and cook it through more before adding tomatoes, etc, your time can get down to 60 minutes...though the flavors aren't as thouroughly developed.  it'll still be awesome.)

ingredients
2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (could use up to 3/4 cup, depending on your preferences)
2 cups onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt (do not use less than 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (note to self: when cooking for the Boy, use less)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and soaked in water and/or lemon juice as long as possible
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons (6 cubes) Trader Joe's frozen cilantro cubes, or up to 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup cashews or almonds
1/2 to 3/4 cup greek yogurt

optional 
diced potato or sweet potato; spinach; golden raisins; chopped nuts
accompaniment
cooked rice, quinoa, or couscous
garnish
fresh cilantro, chopped

directions
head butter in a large, wide, heavy pot or wok over moderately low heat, until foam subsides.  cook onions, garlic, and ginger, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.

add curry powder, salt, cumin, paprika, and chili powder.  cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

turn heat up to medium or medium-high.  add cubed chicken, chick peas, and potatoes if using, stirring to coat, and cook 3-7 minutes (depending on how quickly you'd like to eat...cook for fewer minutes if you've got the time to spare, more minutes if you don't)

add tomatoes, their juice, and cilantro and bring to a simmer.  cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and flavors have combined, 30-35 minutes.

just before serving, throw a couple handfuls of spinach and/or the raisins into the pot, if using.  pulse cashews or almonds in food processor until finely ground.  add finely ground nuts and yogurt to curry and simmer gently, uncovered, until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.  if you're counting on leftovers, scoop those out into storage container before this step.  then, when you're ready for leftovers, do this.  don't do it too early or things'll get soggy.  spoon over rice, quinoa or couscous.

note
curry, without yogurt and cashews or almonds, can be made up to 5 days ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, before chilling, covered.  reheat over low before stirring in yogurt and cashews or almonds.